Questions about the CHL range test.

[Xander]

Not really a "New to CHL" question since I don't have my CHL yet...More a "Pre-CHL" question, but I didn't see a better forum, so here goes.

I'm scheduled to take the class on Saturday, and then have my range test this upcoming Monday, and I have a couple of questions about it. I know that it's supposed to be a piece of cake, but I'm cautious by nature, and seeing as I'd never shot a handgun until about six weeks ago, so I want to make sure that I am well prepared.

I decided that I should practice the prescribed qualy course, and so I went out to Bullet Trap yesterday, and shot it twice. (More or less anyway...The timing was in my head of course, and I didn't have the official targets so I made do and roughly measured the five-point area afterwards.) I shot passably, point-wise. Shooting SAO (as I usually do at the range) I estimated that I would have scored a 245+. Shooting DA/SA however, (decocking before every string of fire) dropped my estimated score down around 240.

Coming away from that practice session, I have two primary questions.

1) Is the instructor going to ask me to decock before each string of fire, to simulate what I would be shooting if I were pulling my weapon out of a holster? Or will they let me shot SAO, as I normally would for range fire?

2) How does the official timing work? I’m particularly worried about the 2 and 3 second strings at 3 yards. Am I going to have time to fire sighted shots as I normally would? If I don’t get the shots off in time, do I get dinged for all 5 points per? Should I forget about hitting true COM and just get 5-point shots off as quickly as I can?

Thanks,

Xander

[longtooth]

You will not be asked to decock.
I assure you the time is liberal & you will not need to worry about aiming.
You will have plenty of time.
I have never seen an instructor that carried a stopwatch.
I have seen some pretty slow new shooters on the line. It is plenty of time.

[seamusTX]

1) Is the instructor going to ask me to decock before each string of fire, to simulate what I would be shooting if I were pulling my weapon out of a holster?

If your pistol is DA/SA, you will be asked to decock it after loading.

2) How does the official timing work? I’m particularly worried about the 2 and 3 second strings at 3 yards. Am I going to have time to fire sighted shots as I normally would?

Yes. Go out this weekend and fire strings of shots at 3 yards. Start as slow as you like and increase the rate as gradually as feels comfortable. You'll be a human machine gun in an hour. It will be a piece of cake.

I don't know how instructors penalize slow shooters in the test.

- Jim

[seamusTX]

You will not be asked to decock.

Depends.

ElGato tells shooters whose pistols decock to do so.

- Jim

[flintknapper]

No need to worry about the time constraints.

Most people shoot too quickly if anything. The time afforded each string is quite "generous" you will discover.

Just relax, and listen carefully to the instructions given: (How many rounds to load, how many shots to take). You'll do fine.

[Xander]

Ok...Thanks guys. Knowing what to expect helps a lot.

Yes. Go out this weekend and fire strings of shots at 3 yards. Start as slow as you like and increase the rate as gradually as feels comfortable. You'll be a human machine gun in an hour. It will be a piece of cake.

I'll do that. I had been focusing on the other end of the spectrum...Accurate strings of fire at 20 or so yards. Makes the close up targets look big as a house but it takes a bit longer, which is what was worrying me. I'm fully confident in my ability to get fast, accurate follow up shots off, but those single-shot two second strings had me nervous, especially DA, 'cause when I'm on the clock that long 10lb. trigger pull seems to take forever.

-Xander

[seamusTX]

... especially DA, 'cause when I'm on the clock that long 10lb. trigger pull seems to take forever.

I know the feeling.

One additional bit of advice which I received: Don't load your pistol and empty the magazine in single-action. That's too easy.

Load. Decock. Fire two rounds. Decock. Repeat.

Also dry fire.

- Jim

[LedJedi]

i certainly understand your concern. I had the same questions before I went to my class.

I can tell you now though that the only way you would fail that shooting test is if you didn't have a pulse or you were straight up scared of the gun. Don't sweat it. There were 3 people in my class that had never shot a gun before (how they got to Texas, I dont know). If they can pass, you can pass. Our instructor didn't even score them.

There was this little old lady in the stall next to me during my class that actually kinda scared me. She put two bullets in my target and one in the guy on the other side of her and she still passed. I now look for her on the street so i can go the other way.

and I have a SA/DA pistol and was never asked to decock. I'm not that kind of guy.

[LedJedi]

Also dry fire.

- Jim

With a snap cap!!!!

[seamusTX]

Also dry fire.

With a snap cap!!!!

I should have added, read your pistol manual and do what it says. Some require a snap cap for dry-firing. Some don't. A few are not supposed to be dry-fired.

- Jim

[Xander]

AFAIK, there's no official line from SIG on whether snap caps need to be used. The general consensus seems to be that they're not necessary but since they're cheap, and better safe than sorry, I always use 'em.

-Xander

[Xander]

There was this little old lady in the stall next to me during my class that actually kinda scared me. She put two bullets in my target and one in the guy on the other side of her and she still passed. I now look for her on the street so i can go the other way.

LOL! Yeah...That's truly frightening. I'm really not terribly worried about passing, but I want to be prepared so that I will be able to get the highest score that I can. I do *not* want to be one of the people passing despite a marginal shoot.

[Xander]

... especially DA, 'cause when I'm on the clock that long 10lb. trigger pull seems to take forever.

I know the feeling.

One additional bit of advice which I received: Don't load your pistol and empty the magazine in single-action. That's too easy.

Load. Decock. Fire two rounds. Decock. Repeat.

Also dry fire.

- Jim

I've been dry-firing a bit, but not as much as I should be, certainly. That is another area I need to work on.

-Xander

[longtooth]

You will not be asked to decock.

Depends.

ElGato tells shooters whose pistols decock to do so.

- Jim

All right. From now on when asked that I will tell that it depends on the instructor. Some do & others dont.

[LedJedi]

There was this little old lady in the stall next to me during my class that actually kinda scared me. She put two bullets in my target and one in the guy on the other side of her and she still passed. I now look for her on the street so i can go the other way.

LOL! Yeah...That's truly frightening. I'm really not terribly worried about passing, but I want to be prepared so that I will be able to get the highest score that I can. I do *not* want to be one of the people passing despite a marginal shoot.

you know, our instructor said something interesting during class. I'm sure those with more experience can chime in on this, but he said something to the effect of "you dont want a perfect score on this. If you ever shoot someone and get pulled into court and it shows surgical skill it's going to come up that you could have shot without killing them."

That perked my ears up and is perhaps a good point. Whether that would actually happen or not, i dont know. I threw two shots outside my 10 ring because of that though. Couldn't hurt.